Recipe: Best Ever Jalapeno Poppers - The Whimsical Whims of Ikhlas Hussain (2024)

So I’m writing this post after a sick day at home. Like most people, I hate being sick. But there is something I hate more than being sick. And that’s missing school or work.

Now, some people (like my brothers), take the opportunity to take it easy, to just rest and get better when they’re sick. Me? I will go in to school or work (even if I’ll spread germs) every single time, unless I am decapitated and can’t get out of bed. I have been to school in a fever, with a pack of tissues before. And I do it, time and time again, because I just can’t stand the idea of spending the whole day in bed and missing crucial information. No matter how sick I am, I WILL feel guilty if I miss a day!

Am I crazy? Possibly… But all of this craziness has made me realise that sometimes, me not taking it easy probably makes it harder for me to get better.

Recipe: Best Ever Jalapeno Poppers - The Whimsical Whims of Ikhlas Hussain (2)

Take this weekend for example.I had the chills Saturday morning, but refused to ‘take it easy’, no matter what my mom said. No, I powered through my homework, spending all day at the computer, adding more exhaustion onto the week’s exhaustion. Then came Sunday when I had more than a little cough or a little runny nose, but again, I spent the whole day at the computer. Flash forward to Monday morning; I felt perfectly fine, never mind the Kleenex box I lugged with me to class, but by Monday afternoon I felt like I was going to faint and had to be rescued (aka picked up) by my dad.

I like to think that if I had taken it easy on the weekend, things might not have gotten so dire by Monday. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do the same again… -_-

Let’s talk about these Poppers. I only discovered them recently, when my bff and I hosted a party last year. She described them to be as ‘deep fried cream cheese-y goodness’, which sounded a bit weird to me. But one bite of these babies and I was sold!

Recipe: Best Ever Jalapeno Poppers - The Whimsical Whims of Ikhlas Hussain (3)

If you’ve never had them, Jalapeno Poppers are balls of spicy jalapeno peppers, wrapped in a layer of cream cheese and cheddar cheese, and then coated in a bread crumb and flour coating. When you bite into it, you get an ooey-gooey explosion of cheese and crunchy jalapenos. SO SO GOOD.

What I love about these is the crunchy, breadcrumb coating on the outside that gives way to a soft, melt-in-your-mouth filling inside. The cream cheese filling stops the jalapenos from beingtoo spicy, while salty cheddar cheese provides a nice bite.

These are so good, that all I can say is check out the recipe and try these out…soon!

Yield: 12-14 poppers

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 to 5 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers (optional)
  • 8 cups oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and shredded cheese.
  2. Take a bit (1/2 tbsp) and place on the palm of your hand. Add a slice of jalapeno, and then add more cream cheese filling. Add more cream cheese filling top and roll into a ball, ensuring that the jalapeno peppers are completely coated by the cream cheese mixture, and that none are peeking out. Repeat process.
  3. Put milk, flour, and bread crumbs into three separate bowls. Add dry spices to the bread crumb bowl and mix well. First dip the poppers into milk and into flour. Then dip again in milk and in bread crumbs, ensuring that they're completely coated. Set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a medium skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C) and deep fry the poppers until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and let dry on a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy warm.

Recipe inspired by Fatima Zulqarnain and Allrecipes.

http://ikhlashussain.com/2013/09/recipe-best-ever-jalapeno-poppers/

Don’t forget to seed the jalapeno peppers before slicing them! The spice factor comes mostly from the seeds, so it’s important to seed the peppers properly, otherwise these will be unbearably spicy!

Also, be sure to coat the poppers completely in the flour first, and then the bread crumbs. If you don’t coat them properly, the filling will escape during the frying process, and burn out.

The recipe calls for halved jalapenos, but I prefer them sliced, with two slices per popper, since you get cuter, rounder, more bite-sized poppers. You can also easily do one slice of jalapeno per popper, but I love the extra kick, so I add two slices. 😉

These poppers are so incredibly easy, it’s no wonder I made them almost every week during Ramadan! Spicy and salty, these poppers are a treat to bite into, especially when you taste the warm, velvety mixture of cream cheese and cheddar cheese and get to the crunchy peppers.

So if you’re looking for an easy, but delicious, appetizer, I highly recommend these! My only complain: the recipe only makes 12! 🙁

I hope you try these out and let me know how you get on. 🙂

Hope you’re all having a great week!

Thanks for reading,

Ikhlas

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Recipe: Best Ever Jalapeno Poppers - The Whimsical Whims of Ikhlas Hussain (2024)

FAQs

How to make jalapeno poppers that aren t spicy? ›

Control the spice level: for mild-medium heat, remove all the seeds and membranes. For spicier jalapeno poppers, either leave some of the seeds/membrane in the jalapenos or add some of the seeds to the filling. Use soft cream cheese.

What is the Scoville level of a jalapeno pepper? ›

So, where do jalapeños fall on that scale? They usually fall in the range of 2,000 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which sounds like a lot, but it really isn't! Some of the hottest peppers in the world measure up to 1,000,000 SHU, muy caliente!

Which jalapeños are spicy? ›

So red jalapeños are older than green jalapeños. The red ones can be pretty hot, especially if they have a lot of striations, but they are also sweeter than the green. If you are trying to avoid the hottest jalapeños (say for a stuffed jalapeno dish), pick the chiles without any striations.

How do you soak jalapeños? ›

Soak Chiles in a Vinegar and Water Solution

This method is useful when making stuffed jalapeño peppers, which starts with chiles that have been boiled for a few minutes. Submerge seeded, cooked whole jalapeños in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and let them soak for about an hour.

How do you get the batter to stick to jalapeno poppers? ›

A lot of recipes I found make the mistake of breading the jalapeño poppers with just a dip in milk followed by breadcrumbs, but it's hard to get a good single coat because liquids fail to stick to the pepper skin. To solve this, I do a double layer of dredging, first soaking the poppers in milk followed by flour.

Why are my jalapeños not so spicy anymore? ›

The long-term 'de-spicification' of the jalapeño is a deliberate choice, not the product of a bad season of weather,” Reinhart wrote. In short, most jalapeños are sent to factories to be used in prepared foods such as salsas, chips and sausages.

Are jalapeños hotter than habaneros? ›

Habaneros are considerably hotter than jalapenos. On the Scoville Heat Scale, jalapenos typically range from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), while habaneros can range from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU or even higher.

Which is hotter jalapeno or poblano? ›

Although jalapeños and poblano peppers are both green, poblanos tend to be darker and larger in size than jalapeños. Additionally, poblanos have a milder heat level than jalapeños. Another way these peppers differ is in taste.

Are jalapeños good for you? ›

Jalapeños are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium. They also have carotene -- an antioxidant that may help fight damage to your cells – as well as folate, vitamin K, and B vitamins. Many of their health benefits come from a compound called capsaicin. That's what makes the peppers spicy.

What is a good substitute for jalapeños that are not spicy? ›

However, if you happen to be looking for a replacement pepper variety that has no heat, bell peppers can fill the space of jalapeños. Bell peppers, like jalapeños, come from the Capsicum annuum species which produces many of the non-spicy pepper varieties.

What is a milder substitute for jalapeños? ›

Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers are another mild pepper that works well as a substitute for jalapeños. They are similar in shape, size and heat to Anaheim peppers mentioned above and can be substituted in a similar way. Their heat has a range of 1,000 to 1,500 SHU, which is also quite a bit milder.

Are jalapeno poppers spicy? ›

Jalapeño poppers are spicy, but by design, the filling tempers the heat of the pepper. Poppers are crunchy and ooze-y at once, like a fried mozzarella stick with the added heat and textual contrast of the hot pepper.

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